The Half-Breed
by Sanura Bey
Summary: The Hatori family consisted of her parents, two younger siblings and herself. Reika Hatori watched her father walk out on them with her baby brother in his arms followed by her mother and sister killing themselves. Before joining them, she's approached by a man with an offer. She never expected to learn so much about herself or gain a husband in the process.
1. Going Once, Twice, Sold!

I sat across from him signing my name to the contract I'd just finished read before.

"Are you sure you won't regret this?" he asked me and I paused, thinking about everything that could happen if someone evil bought me.

"Why should I?" I asked as I finished signing my name. "This is better than the alternative, right?" I stood once he took the contract and looked it over again.

"Yes, I suppose it is." Another man placed manacles on me that connected it to a collar. My long red hair was pulled up into a bun so it wouldn't get caught. The chain was so long that it fell to the bottom of the oversized shirt I was wearing. "Do you have trouble breathing?"

"No," I answered as a man placed a white sheet was placed over my head reaching the back of my knees.

"Shall we?" He opened the door and motioned for me to go through it. I started forward and he walked in front of me to lead me to where I'd be auctioned off. I didn't even notice the whispers or the creatures around me. I stood in the center of the stage and stared down at it. I didn't want to see the people and creatures who were looking to purchase me.

"Ladies and gentlemen, what we have for you now is a rare prize even for this venerable auction house!" the announcer called out. _A rare prize? Guess they don't sell humans much._

"Ooh!"

"There it is!"

"I've never seen one before!"

"Do I hear one million pounds?" _Pounds? Isn't that the currency in England?_ I hadn't paid much attention to where we were going when we left Japan.

"One point one!" _But does it really matter?_

"One and a half!" _All I want is a place to call home._

"One point eight!" _Will I really be able to find that with these people?_

"Two million!"

"Two and a quarter!"

"The bids are so hight! What is that thing?" I heard someone ask.

"You don't know? Really? It's the most wondrous tool an Alchemist can hope for. A Sleight Beggy, but this one is more than that. She's also a Sleigh Fendeil. _What's a Sleigh Beggy and a Sleigh Fendeil?_

"Five million." My eyes widened and I looked up to see a man with horns coming from his head and a red cloth in front of his face. "Yes, I've made my decision. I'll take you as my apprentice." The cloth fluttered and I saw a glimpse of white and purple.

* * *

"Thank you kindly for your payment," the man who was with me when I signed the contract said to the man who bought me as I stood next to him. I looked down at the check the man had written out. "This is an eighteen-year-old girl from Japan. She's shown no trace of aggression and should be simple to train. I confess I was quite pleasantly surprised to see you at today's auction, sir. However, in the future, I must ask you to follow the rules of our auction house. Bidders must stay off the stage-"

"I require neither a lecture nor small talk, thank you," the man interrupted him before standing to his feet. "You come with me." I didn't move and the man grasped my chain and forced me to look up at him. The cloth moved in the wind revealing a skull sitting on a purple neck. "Eyes forward, not on the ground. Keep your chin up and your spine straight. Understood?" he asked me.

"Yes, sir," I nodded. I followed him out of the room, missing the looks and whispers of the two men we'd left behind in the room. I finally looked at the creatures in the tanks and in chains around me. _There are so many inhuman creatures here. Dwarves, monsters, werewolves? I'm used to seeing strange sights, but I've never seen these before. I guess it's no surprise that they exist._ I looked at the man in front of me. _This guy handed over a fortune for me like it was chump change he found in the cushions. Just who is he?_ I watched a creature emerge from his shoulder and fly to me and rub its head on my cheek.

"Oh-! Look who's here!" a man said from next to one of the creatures chained up. "What brought the magus out? _Magus?_ "I thought he disliked being among people."

"We missed out on a real gem today."

"You hardly ever see one of **those** for sale!"

"She may only be a halfbreed, but the other half is even rarer!"

"A genuine Sleigh Beggy and Sleigh Fendeil halfbreed." _Sleigh Beggy and Sleigh Fendeil?_ I held the small creature close to me.

"Ahh, as I thought. You can see them." I looked up at the man in confusion.

"Are you talking to me?" I asked him.

"There's no one else nearby, is there?" he asked me. "What is your name?" he opened the door and ushered me in. I walked in before turning back to him.

"Reika Hatori, sir," I told him, removing the sheet from my head. He closed the door and leaned on the wall.

"I am Elias Ainsworth. It's a pleasure, little puppy," he said holding out his hand for mine. _Puppy?_ "And it would appear you do possess sight, as advertised. That's rare among either of your races - for all the good your luck may have done you."

"My luck... huh?" I asked him.

* * *

 **"** I'm **not takin them," one of my relatives said as I held my baby sister's hand tightly. "She'd just be a burden."**

 **"But if we send them to an orphanage, the neighbors-" Another argued.**

 **"Who cares? They only have the tiniest inheritance. There's no benefit to us." _Was that all we were worth to them? By how much money we had received?_ I followed my sisters gaze to see an arm waving at us. "Anyway, I hear there's something wrong with them. They talk to themselves and acts weirdly."**

 **"But still, shouldn't we-"**

 **"No.** I'm **not taking them, and that's that."**

* * *

 **"Hey, is it true your parents left you?" One of the boys in my class asked me.**

 **"Nah. Her mommy killed herself. She's got nobody but her whiny sister."**

 **"Same thing, isn't it? Not even her own _mommy_ wanted her!" **

* * *

"No," I said. "Whatever luck you claim to think I've had was stolen from me. My "sight" has _never_ brought me anything good. It's only stolen those I care for most away from me."

"Is that so..." I looked up at him. as he spoke. "I'll have to ensure you'll be glad of it one day."

"You'll... what...?" I asked shocked.

"And I must say, your passivity is **unappealing,** " he said. "Beautiful dolls have their place, but I spent a pretty penny on you. I'd prefer you to be more interesting." He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me to him. "Now, shut your eyes and hold on to me." I looked up at him. "Eyes **closed**. You may get dizzy." I held his jacket in my hand tightly and looked back down at my hand.

 _Nettle in the shadows..._

 _False holly in a ring..._

 _Spin 'round ten times, twenty times..._

 _Spin a spider's web on that distant bough._

I opened my eyes and looked at the branch next to my face. _Thorns...?_ I quickly closed my eyes until he told me too.

"There. You may open your eyes now." I did as he said and my eyes widened at the small cottage in front of me. There was a large garden and it was surrounded by the woods and a path that must have led to a city. "Impressive. We made it in a single jump." In one of the trees was a birds nest where a mother watched its eggs. "This is my home." I looked back up at Elias. "As of today, it is your home as well." He moved to the door of the cottage.

"Wait a minute!" I called as I ran after him. "Where _are_ we? How'd we get here? We were just inside-!"

"This is the countryside west of London. On the shores of England," he told me.

"So... we really are in England," I mumbled. "You said something about me being your apprentice? Apprentice of what?"

"Oh, yes. Here." He poked a link in the chain around my neck. "You won't be needing those anymore." The collar, manacles, and chain all burst away from me and disappeared _! I placed my hand on my now bare neck. "As of now, you are an apprentice mage." A mage?_ "We are a dying breed, fading from this world. But I, at least intend to hold on till the end. Now! The first order of business is a **bath**. I welcome you into my home as my apprentice and a new mage, halfbreed- ah, I beg your pardon. Welcome home, **Reika**."

* * *

I fought against him, a large blush on my face as he tried to remove my shirt from my person.

"No, no, no-! Hold it!" I yelled at him. "I can handle this part on my own!"

"I doubt you can work the tub. Besides, you're filthy. I'll scrub you clean," Elias said.

"I'm not a baby! I've taken a bath before! I'll figure it out!" I yelled.

"Now, stop fussing like a kitten. In you go!"

"First I'm a puppy now I'm a kitten! Make up your mi- Aaah!" He dropped me in the tub, completely naked. I covered my face with my hands. _There is no God... He saw everything..._

"Immerse yourself to the neck, or the chill won't leave your bones," he told me.

"Ok..."

"Come out once you've warmed up." I sank into the water, my blush still on my face. _I totally forgot to ask him for a total explanation about what a Sleigh Beggy and a Sleigh Fendeil are. Then again, in all my imaginings of what would happen after the auction, I never imagined I'd have a good hot soak again._

* * *

 **"If you're so willing to discard your life, why not give yourself over to someone who can make use of you?"**

 **"Make use of me... huh?"**

* * *

"Oooh! I thought I smelled something sweet and scrumptious!" I looked up to see three little people with feet like birds and feathered shoulders and wings. Their eyes were completely black and had two antennae on their heads. "Look! An adorable human girl!"

"Are you... fairies?" I asked them.

"Oh my! She's unfazed!" One of them said. "How refreshing! But unsurprising, since you can see us! Yes, indeed. Humans do call us "fairies". But how about you don't, sweetie. It's so dull."

"Call us "neighbor" or "friend"! That's much more fun," a second said.

"You've seen folk like us before, haven't you?" the third asked.

"So few humans can see us nowadays!" the first sighed. "But if the bonehead's taken you in, you must have some kind of talent, right?" _Bonehead? They must be talking about Elias._ "We're so happy you're here, sweetie. Humans hardly ever notice us anymore. And in the old days, there were so many humans with the Sight-! Mages and all sorts of others! But these days they're all into that "science" stuff, and we've been relegated to "fantasy". The "new world" whatchamacallit... **America**! They've got ghosts and monsters, but don't care about us! So mean!"

"Yeah! A friend came back from there a while ago! Said they called her a demon!"

"Eww! That's an awful story, poor thing!"

"By the way, sweetie... You're half Sleigh Beggy and half Sleigh Fendeil, right?" _There are those terms again. That's what they called me at the auction house. What are those things_ "Training someone like you to be a mage, huh? The Thorn Mage is so silly sometimes!" The first fairy kissed my cheek before joining her friends.

""Thorn Mage"?" I asked them.

"One of Elias' other names," the second fairy told me. "We call him that, the old half-baked bonehead!" _Half-baked?_

"You poor dear! Getting tangled up with a scary-faced monster! Poor child, sweeter than even honey mead- the draught more prized than gold or the fairy kingdom's own flowers. Oh, our beloved little cub, how we adore you! If you're doomed to be a mage, we'll gladly do all we can to help you." _Beloved? Adore?_

"Reika?" I jumped at Elias voice coming from the still closed door. "Are you all right? You haven't fallen asleep in there, have you?"

"I'm fine!" I shouted at him. "I promise! Really! You don't need to come in!" I got out of the tub and wrapped a towel around my body before turning and looking for the fairies. _They're gone...?_

* * *

"For today, simply eat and drink," Elias told me as I sat on the couch next to his chair. "Make yourself at home." In front of me on the coffee table was an assortment of foods and two tea mugs. I took a mug and sipped my tea. _Tea and a full meal. He really is welcoming me into his home. I've never felt so comfortable in someone else's house before._

"Um... while I was bathing, some fairies visited me," I told him.

"Ah, the Ariels?" he asked. "I expect you piqued their curiosity and they came to greet you."

"Oh."

"I can see that you have many questions," he said. "Very well. Tonight, instead of bedtime stories, I'll give you what answers I can."

"Is it true that you can use magic?" I asked him. A cage on the coffee table unlocked and a firebird appeared on his finger.

"Yes, it's true."

"When you said I'm your apprentice, what did you mean?" I asked him.

"It means you're now my pupil, pup," he told me. "To reiterate, I am a mage, and irritatingly, I appear to have some prestige in our society."

"Appear to?" I asked him.

"I don't know specifics, as I avoid others when possible," he told me. _Then why take an apprentice?_ "You see, many alchemists and magic users died in the last great war. Nowadays, we have a severe lack of gifted young people. Even a glimmer of talent is sought out. In desperation, some resort to abduction or even slavery- as in your case. Now, children with magical talent are unusual, but not that rare. Sleight Beggy and Sleigh Fendeil, however, are nearly unheard of. I was quite fortunate."

"People at the auction house kept calling me those names, too. What exactly does Sleigh Beggy and Sleigh Fendeil mean?" I asked him. He crossed his fingers in front of his face and stared at me with his glowing red eyes.

"An apt comparison might be to a queen bee," he told me.

"A queen bee?" I asked him.

"Sleigh Beggy have the ability to summon and bind all manner of things while Sleigh Fendeil protects not only the humans but the neighbors as well," Elias explained. "And while you can perceive fairies and the like for your kind, that is very unusual. Most don't even realize what they are doing. Fae beings are like worker bees who flock to the queen- whether she sees them or not. And for those of your kind who cannot see them, they bear both good and bad luck."

"Good and bad luck?" I asked.

"Fae notions of gifts and favors aren't always in a human's best interest," he told me. "But their fondness means you'll never lack for help. Magic often requires their aid. Their willing assistance will be a great asset to you. You will be a magnificent mage one day. That said, I don't want to force you down any road."

"But... you bought me," I reminded him. "Doesn't that mean I don't get a say anymore? You're giving me a choice to do what I want?"

"Not really!" he told me looking happy. "But you may think things over. The path to becoming a mage is only one of many open to you now." He placed his hand on my head. "I'll do what I can to guide you on that path, but that doesn't mean I won't help with other things. I wouldn't mind spoiling you a bit." My eyes widened at his words and action. "After all, you're practically family now." _Family?_ He made a necklace appear in his hands. At the end of the necklace was a green stone with a hole in the middle of it. "This Adder Stone comes from a riverbed, where the hole wore into it naturally. It's yours now. It will protect you." He tied the necklace around my neck and I picked up the stone and stared at it. "I think that's enough for one evening. Let's call it a night."

* * *

After he showed me to my room, which was across the hall from his, I sat on my new bed and looked around the room. It was a plain room: bed, dresser, desk, and a chair. It was plain, but mine. I smiled at the thought. I'd never had my own room until now. I touched the stone around my neck again. He said I had options. _Am I really going to be his apprentice? He's not lying about me having a choice, is he?_ I plopped down on my pillow and took a deep breath. _What a strange scent. The tea had the same smell. Some herb maybe? Fresh, but faintly bitter. Like a grassy field._ I hugged the pillow to my face. _A real bed is so nice and there's no scent of must or mildew. Brain shutting off for sleep now..._ I closed my eyes and was close to sleep when...

"Reika... Reika..." I opened my eyes and looked through the window. "Reika." I looked up to see one of the Ariels from my bath. I opened the window so she could fly in.

"You're one of the Ariels from earlier," I said.

"The Thorn Mage told you our name, huh?" she asked me with a smile. "Care for a nighttime stroll with me? The forest is so pretty by moonlight!"

"But..."

* * *

" **Fae notions of gifts and favors aren't always in a human's best interest."**

* * *

"It won't take long, and no one will mind!" She told me. "A nice walk will be just the thing to make you sleep well!"

"Yeah, I guess so..." I said thinking about it. "I'll go tell Elias-"

"Oh, don't bother him!" The Ariel told me. "We'll be back before he even knows we're gone!" Something rang in my head and I looked back down at the stone around my neck. "Come on, sweetie. Pleeeease?" She begged.

* * *

I walked out the door and met with the Ariel. I wrapped a cloak around my shoulders as I followed her into the forest.

"It's a lot brighter than I thought it would be," I commented.

"Yep! We leave sparkle trails when we fly," she told me. "You can see them, right?" I nodded. "We play in the woods lots, and go to and from the Fairy Kingdom, so there're trails all over! There are tons of us! Some in the human world, and even more in our kingdom. Some of us live alone, and some live like humans do- in pairs with children. Where do you come from, Reika?"

"Japan."

"Japan?"

"It's a small country way east of here- across the whole continent and the ocean."

"And your family?"

"I haven't had any since my baby sister died," I told her. "Dad ran away with my baby brother when I was little. For all I know, he's dead too. Relatives passed me and my sister around after my mother died. My sister killed herself about a month ago."

"Were they good to you?" she asked me and I stopped walking and looked down.

"I don't think I noticed much. I was too worried about my little sister," I told her. "But if I'd learned to love them I probably wouldn't be here now." We walked in silence after that for a little while. "Hey, um... we've been walking for a while..." I noted looking around and noticing the eyes watching us. "If we go any further, we'll-"

"Oh, don't you worry, sweetie! It's a ways yet actually. You'll never have to go back again!"

"What...?" I asked her. She wrapped her arms around my pointer finger.

"We managed to pull the wool over the old bonehead's eyes!" She said excitedly. "If I don't bring you home, they others will be so mad at me! Don't you worry about a thing! Life in our kingdom should be so much easier than in your world!

"What are you talking about?" I asked her confused.

"Perfect! The way's even open." I looked and saw a large boulder that seemed to be glowing a blue light. "The Fairy Kingdom is through here. My home- **your** home!- where every day is nothing but **fun**!" I followed her to the entrance and looked down the stairs "Ready to go?" I looked down the stairs before backing away from them.

"No... I- I think I should go back..." I turned and went back to the house.

"Go back where?" she asked me and I froze again. "To what? That dinky little "Japan" place across the sea? But there's nobody there. No one's waiting for you, sweetie." Arms wrapped around me and held me close. "So why not live your life with us, playing and having fun?" The arms spun me back to the Ariel. _She's right... No one's waiting for me anywhere I could go... But..._ I reached for her hands with my finger. _But I..._

* * *

 **"After all, you're practically family now."**

* * *

I quickly grabbed onto my own arm and my nails dug into my arm making it bleed.

"Reika? What's the matter?" she asked me.

"I'm not going with you," I told her. "I'm going back to the house."

"But **why**?" she asked me. "There's no reason you have to live with that musty bonehead. Is it because he bought you? Don't worry your head about that! It's-"

"That's not why," I stopped her. "All my life, no one ever said I was welcome with them, but he made me feel welcome and gave me a home. Even if I'm just a pet, I'll stay until he gets bored and tosses me out. Because he... he said we were family. My family didn't want me because I had the Sight and they didn't. My father ran away with my baby brother. My mother and sister killed themselves. He may have bought me, but he did what no one else ever has. He's given me a life."

"Well, well." I looked up to see Elias standing next to me, his hand on my back. He pulled me to him as he looked down at me. "It would seem my little puppy has learned where her den is."

"Elias-!"

"Thorn!" the Ariel said angrily. "How did you find us?"

"Why, I put a **bell** on her collar." He picked up with stone around my neck. _That's why he didn't want me to take it off._ "Besides, what mage worth his salt would overlook a font of magical energy like that gate? Be gone. This once, I'll let you go. Do it again and you'll be **food** for the salamanders."

"Hmph! Do you really think you can keep our little cub from us forever bonehead?" she asked turning from us and going to the stone.

"I do, and I **can.** You know that," Elias told her.

"You can change your mind any time, Sweet Reika." I sighed in relief.

"Reika." His hand came towards my head and I tensed. _He's going to yell at me._ "That was quite the learning experience, wasn't it?" he asked me and I looked up at him shocked. "Most of their kind are **pests**. They lure the unwary with honeyed words. Their pranks have brought misery to countless humans for centuries. Be more cautious."

"I... I'm sorry," I said looking down at my feet.

"Well, I ought to have warned you sooner," he said before hugging me tightly. _It's strange. He's so warm but feels... kinda stiff and awkward._ "I'm surprised you hadn't already learned to be wary of them. Be more careful in the future." He suddenly picked me bridal style and I started flailing around.

"Ack! Wh-what are you doing?!" I asked him.

"It's easy to get lost in these woods at night. I will carry you back to **our** home," he told me and I smiled up at him.

"All right."

"Once there, I'll need to take a look at that arm," he told me. "We can't have my future wife covered in scars."

"Okay," I said before his words started sinking in. "Huh...?" _Wait a minute..._ "Um... what's this about a future wife?"

"Oh, haven't I mentioned it?" he asked me like it was nothing. "I bought you to be my apprentice, as I said..." he raised me so I was looking in his eyes instead of up at him. "But also to make you my bride."

"Huh?"


	2. One Today is Worth Two Tomorrows

**I stared out the window of the airplane with the man who stopped me from following my sister sitting next to me.**

 **"You want to know what sort of person might buy you?" he asked me. "I thought you weren't interested in any of that."**

 **"I don't want many things in my life," I told him. "Just a place to call home and pain-free life. I'd like to brace myself for all possibilities for the future."**

 **"How very prudent, but not to worry. You are a very special commodity. At the sum you'll go for, no buyer would abuse you. No one would spend that amount on a disposable toy," he told me, and I just looked at him with questions on the tip of my tongue. "Oh, that's right. You said you didn't care if you lived or died."**

 **"You're right," I said looking back out the window. "How do you know someone's going to pay a lot for me anyway?"**

 **"Oh, you'll see," he said, and I could see his smile in the reflection of the window. "Soon."**

* * *

I woke up in the room Elias had given me and sat up, staring outside.

"It's morning already...?" I asked rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

* * *

 **"If you have no value in your life, why not give yourself over to someone who can make use of you?"**

* * *

 **"I'll take you as my apprentice." The cloth moved in the wind revealing a skull sitting on a purple neck.**

* * *

Oh, that's right. Elias bought me and brought me to his home.

* * *

 **"As of today, it is your home as well."**

* * *

 **"But also to make you my bride."**

* * *

Was he serious? His apprentice **and** his bride? I looked to the door at the sound of someone knocking on it. It opened to reveal a beautiful blonde woman in an old-fashioned pink and white dress and bonnet. She held out some clothes for me, and I got up and took them from her. She closed the door, and I changed into an off the shoulder light blue, short sleeved top that would partially fall over a pair of jean shorts. She also supplied me with black tights that came up to my mid-thigh and blue flats. I looked down at myself with my hair falling into my face, and I grabbed it. Should I cut it if he's going to train me? But if it's in magic, then I should be okay. Right? I looked up at the knocking again and went to the door to see the same woman as before. She grabbed my hand and pushed me down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Ah, thank you," Elias said, and I watched her bow at the waist before leaving. "Good morning, Reika."

"Good morning," I greeted watching the woman leave. "Who's she?"

"She is the neighbor who lives here - a Silky," he told me, and I turned back to him.

"What's a Silky?"

"Silkies are spirits who enjoy dealing with the domestic matters of the houses where they live. Silver is my housekeeper - in essence - cooking, cleaning, even tending the hearth," he explained. I looked down at some papers he was messing with and saw a letter. Suddenly, it seemed to rip up and take another form before flying out of the window. I watched it go with wide eyes and jumped when I noticed Elias' face to close to mine. "Just a note dashed off to an acquaintance."

"An acquaintance, huh?" I asked looking out the window and watching the letter fly away. _This man bought me for a ridiculous amount of money._

 _"_ Did you know you were asleep for two days?" he asked me and I quickly turned and stared at him shocked.

"Are you kidding?!" I asked him.

"I expect you were exhausted from all the stress," he said, and I thought about it for a moment. With the auction, Elias buying me, and the neighbors trying to lure me to their home I could picture me being stressed enough to sleep for a long time. I sat at the table across from Elias and Silver gave me a bowl of soup. I barely know anything about Elias. What kind of person is he? Why does he look the way he does? But... he took me in, and he's taking care of me, so I don't think he's a bad guy. He offered me his home when I had none. "I realize that you only just woke up..." I looked up at him. "But I'd like it if you'd get ready for our honeymoon."

"What? You were serious about that?" One thing that I do know is that he's weird. Really, really weird.

* * *

"I mentioned our honeymoon in jest..." he told me once we were in London's foggy air. "But, as we're already out running errands, I wish to introduce you to an acquaintance." I internally groaned. That skull head gives nothing that he's feeling away, so I can't read if he's serious at all. I looked up at him to see a human face with shoulder length blonde hair.

"Wha-" I gaped at him confused.

"Hmm?" he looked down at me confused.

"Y-y-your face!"

"Oh, well, I could hardly go about in public like that! Of course, most people would assume I was in costume, but I would still draw far too much attention. A quick spell solves the problem." He grabbed my hands and placed them on his face. "See? There's even a tactile aspect to the illusion. How do I look? Handsome? Dashing?" he asked me. He was right. His head felt like a regular human face, and his hair was soft, but something still felt off as he smiled down at me.

"You look... strange and kinda sketchy," I told him. His face blanked.

"What?! How harsh!"

"I prefer your true face," I said, and he stared down at me as though confused by my words. I felt myself heat up. "W-weren't we going somewhere?" He nodded before turning and walking away with me behind him.

* * *

We stopped in front of what looked like a bookshop, and I stared in the window.

"This shop is a favorite of mine!" Elias told me. "You can find nearly any tool you can imagine." In a bookstore? He opened the door and walked inside with me behind him. I closed the door behind us and looked around.

"Is this place even open?" I asked him.

"Oh, it is. The storefront is a cover. The shopkeeper is in the back," he assured me. We continued walking to the back and he knocked on the door. "Angie? Angelica, are you in?"

"Who's there?" I looked passed Elias to see a woman in a blue jumpsuit and goggles step out. Her deep purple hair was tied up and a braid was going down the right side of her head. "Well, well Ainsworth. It's not every day you come trundling out of your den to visit the rest of the world."

"You are as much a recluse as I am, Madam Gem Bee," he said. Madam Gem Bee? Another name like Elias?

"Ha! I run a business, you know! Now, what brings you here?" she asked him. He moved aside so she could see me behind him.

"I'd like to commission something for her to use," he told her and she removed her goggles as though she had to see me better without them.

"Her...? If my eyes don't deceive me, this lass has mage talent," he said. Mage talent? "Indeed she does." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pressed his face into my hair.

"Three days ago, she became my apprentice." The woman was silent for a moment.

"What? Your apprentice?!"

* * *

"Reika, is it?" Angelica asked handing me a cup of tea and I nodded my head. "You seem pleasant enough." She turned to Elias. "You didn't find her via underhanded means, did you?"

"Not to worry," Elias told her with a smile. "I paid for her fair and square."

"Paying for her in any way is underhanded! Could you at least try to acquire some common sense?! A recluse like him buying a person...? Has he done anything funny to you, lass?" she asked me and I looked into my tea.

"I most certainly have not! What do you take me for?" he asked her.

"Anything funny, huh?" I asked feeling their eyes turn to me.

"Reika... you do realize that if you don't deny it quickly, I could be in very deep trouble...?" Elias asked me.

"Let's see... He stripped me naked, scrubbed me clean, and proposed to me, does that count?" I asked her.

"Oh, is that all?" She asked with a smile on her face, but Elias still looked worried about her reaction. She quickly turned around and punched him right in the gut which shocked me. "You child-fancying hedge wizard! See if that poor girl's left solely in your care again! Now get out! Take a walk or something!" She closed the door between the two of him and us. "Land sakes! I swear, that man hasn't a lick of sense in that entire oversized skull! What's he thinking, going after a minor?!"

"Um... I'm actually eighteen," I told her. She turned to me for a moment.

"Really?" I nodded before looking around at all the machines and gemstones and the neighbors wondering around the place. "So that old hermit Ainsworth decided to get himself an apprentice, eh?" Is that really such a surprise to everyone? Is he really a bad guy? "Did he really propose to you?"

"Yes, but I couldn't tell if he was lying or not," I told her. She stared at me before walking away. I looked up at all the neighbors laughing and hanging around the place. "Ma'am? What kind of store is this? And who exactly are you?"

"Oh, I suppose I haven't introduced myself. The name's Angelica Purley. I'm one of the world's last Mages. I'm an Artificer! I make Magus Crafts."

"What are Mafus Crafts?" I asked her.

"They're tools and devices powered by magic instead of electricity, cutting gems for spellcasting, making knives for enchantments... I do it all," she explained.

"Wow..." I whispered looking at the different tools and gems laying around.

"Mama?" We both looked to see a little girl with shoulder-length purple hair and dark eyes peeking around the corner. "Are there customers?"

"Althea! Sorry, sweetpea, but there's a change of plans. Be good now, okay?" Angelica asked the young girl.

"But, mama, you promised you'd help me practice today!" Althea ran into the room and stopped right in front of her mom.

"Another time," Angelica told her. "Run on back to your room, now." The girl turned and ran away from the two of us.

"Is that your daughter?" I asked her curiously.

"Aye, sorry about her lack of manners," Angelica said.

* * *

 **"Mama! I'm ready to play now!"**

* * *

"What's she practicing for?" I asked her.

"Ah... for better or worse, she's got her own share of Mage Talent. She's a stubborn little thing - wants to be an Artificer like me." One of the neighbors crawled up my legs and into my lap before rubbing its head under my chin. "But the times being what they are, I wish she'd set her sights on a more normal career."

"That's the second time you've mentioned something about Mage Talent. What is that?" I asked her.

"What? Hasn't Elias told you about it yet?" she asked me and I shook my head. "He never was any good at clear explanations. First off, are you familiar with the difference between alchemy and magic?" I shook my head again. "Well, as you might guess, Alchemy's the type of science used by Alchemists. Magic, though, is the province of Mages. They make things happen by borrowing power from Fairies, Spirits, Ghosts, or Demons. It seems more like a miracle."

"A miracle...?"

"See, the world follows natural laws. Alchemists study those laws and learn to manipulate them," she said. "It's like a computer program: make this change, get that result. Alchemists tweak or temporarily rewrite the natural laws for what they want. That process is Alchemy. But Mages like us, we use the power we borrow and we interfere with those laws or break them outright, to get the same kinds of results." I thought about her words and looked down at the neighbor still in my lap. "Sounds like magic's the easy way, huh? But it's not. We're manipulating someone else's power and that makes it hard to work with any kind of precision. Nearly anything's possible, but you have to study as hard as Alchemists do. And if you try something too big and get in over your head..." She raised her sleeves and my eyes widened at the gens that seemed implanted in her arms. "Well, there are consequences."

"Your arms...! What happened?"

"I made a dunderheaded mistake when I was training, and this was the result. As I said, Mages have to study as much as Alchemists. If you try to take shortcuts instead, this kind of thing can happen. So be a good student for him, okay?"

"That's one of those things that seem easy to say but harder to do in reality," I said petting the salamander in my lap. It grabbed my hand and started licking it making me smile down at it. "Do you really think I'll be able to use magic someday?"

"If he's keeping you on, that means you've got the potential," she told me. "Want to give it a try?"

"What?" Next to her head, water started being collected before another neighbor appeared.

"Hey there, little pup! Glad to meetcha! Now, Angelica here's my one and only, so I can't be your new bestie, but I'll lend you a hand," he told me.

"This is Hugo, my familiar," Angelica told me. "He's a Vodyanoi - a type of water spirit. He's a bit of a prankster, but he does his part when there's work. Hugo, help the lass out, would you? We're going to try some magic."

"Wait, what?!" I asked her confused. "B-But I've never done any magic before! Elias' hasn't taught me anything yet!"

"Well, you know what they say. Their's a first time for everything!" She told me with a grin before handing me a stone. "This here's a stone Alchemists use for practice. They'd usually draw a matrix to put it in, but we'll skip that. Cup it in your hands and Envision the shape you want it to take."

"Envision a shape?" I asked her before she placed her hand over my eyes and forced them closed.

"Mm. How about your favorite flower? Picture that cleary in your mind," she told me.

"Flowers, huh?" I asked her. No wonder she and Elias get along so well... Both of them are so abrupt about everything they do or say.

"This gem is an artificial crystal," Angelica told me. "To create it liquid was poured into a mold and then put under massive pressure until it crystallized. Think of it this way: air was just liquid heated into vapor, and your will is pressure. Between them, you make a crystal form." I don't have a favorite flower... but... there was that one time...

* * *

 **"Mama! Look at all the pretty flowers!" I ran into the field with a broad grin on my face.**

 **"Be careful, Reika!" Mama called out to me. "Keep hold of Chise's hand!"**

 **"Okay, Mama!" I ran back to Mama and held my baby sister's hand tightly and we started picking the flowers together.**

 **"Aren't the flowers pretty!" Mama asked us. "I think they're beautiful, Chise, Reika."**

* * *

"Reika!" I quickly opened my eyes when I heard Elias' voice and his hand grab my arm. His other hand was in front of my eyes so I could barely see through his gloved fingers.

"Elias...?"

"Angelica, I'd appreciate it if you'd not go about teaching things to my apprentice," Elias told her. I moved his hand to see the floor of this small room filled with crystal poppies.

"When did... I didn't know magic could do this much with one crystal," I said as Elias put his hands on my shoulders.

"It can't." I turned to see Angelica scowling at us and breaking off one of the poppies. "We can think of it as miraculous, but even magic has its limits. Ainsworth! What is she?"

"Reika is a half-breed. A Sleigh Beggy and Sleigh Fendeil," Elias told her.

"Well, that'd explain it," Angelica said. "No normal apprentice could manage this! Why didn't you tell me?"

"The fewer who know, the better," Elias told her. "Don't be so upset." Elias placed one of his hands on my head.

"Sleigh Beggy are like living sponges, and Sleigh Fendeil are living weapons," Angelica said and I looked up at her.

"How's that?"

"Sleigh Fendeil use their bodies to protect neighbors and those who are important to them. Sleigh Beggy soak up the energy in the world around them and store it in their bodies as magic," Angelica explained. "To be both means you can use the magic you store as a weapon against those who cross you. You see things most cannot because your brain and eyes are constantly steeped in that power. But it appears that you've absorbed a bit too much. So much I'm surprised you're still alive, to be honest. There's so much magic stored within you that you're incapable of expending only a little at a time for now. Using as a weapon right now would most likely end up with you killing them." I looked down at my hands in shock as they shook at the news.

"I was able to transport us home from the auction house in only one jump because I tapped into your magic instead of using mine," Elias told me.

"Hugo! Why didn't you warn me?" Angelica asked her familiar and Hugo seemed to jump and hold up his hands in defense.

"B-but, Angelica...!"

"Don't blame your Vodyanoi," Elias told her. "Reika is a special creature to them. They are drawn to her like moths to a flame and she protects them from those who'd harm them."

"You say I'm absorbing magic, but I don't feel like I am," I said.

"Of course now," Angelica said. "It's as natural to you as breathing. For now, just think of yourself as unskilled at the subtler things. It means you'll have to work harder than most on those." I nodded before bowing slightly to her.

"I'm sorry I made such a mess in your store." She placed her hand on my head and messed up my hair a bit.

"There, there, lass. You don't need to apologize," she told me. "It was entirely his fault! It wouldn't have happened if that bone-skilled good-for-nothing had spoken up!"

"Good-for-nothing...?"

"What good is a master who doesn't teach his apprentice anything?!" Angelica asked him. "Lass, could you fetch the broom from the closet in the next room?"

"Yes, ma'am." I walked out of the room before looking back to see Elias whispering something in Angelica's ear.

"What, Ainsworth?" He spoke to her and she scratched her neck. "Aye, I could make that. You really want to hide the fact that she's a half-breed that badly?" I paused and clenched my fists.

"That is part of the reason, yes," Elias told her.

"I'll be raising my price accordingly," she warned and I continued to collect the broom she requested. I went back to the other room once I'd gotten it and Angelica called me over to her.

"For now, here's what I have on hand," she told me. "A stone knife carved in the dew from a moonflower. A cloak woven from a Thunderbird's feathers. Let's see... some Glaistyn hide, a belt... and I think I'll toss in some steel-vine thread and a Crystal-Lens Pocket-glass. I'll take some measurements and make the needed adjustments. After I have what I need and you're done cleaning wait out in the store for a bit."

"Yes, ma'am." I started cleaning the mess I'd made with the help of the neighbors. I put it all in a box before moving them to another part of the store only to see Angelica working on something. Hugo noticed me and placed his finger over his lips in a motion to keep quiet. I smiled at him and did the same with a nod.

* * *

When I was finished cleaning, I joined Elias in the bookstore.

"Ah, is she finished?" he asked me and I shook my head.

"No, not yet. She said she'd make some adjustments first," I said sitting next to him as he read his book. "Have you known her for long?"

"Since she was a child. Her father was an Artificer known for his Magus Crafts, and she often assisted him," he told me. "However, he was an Alchemist and her talents lay elsewhere."

"In magic?" I guessed.

"Yes," he confirmed. "As a mage, she couldn't replicate his work using his methods, but she studied hard and has found her own ways of getting similar results." I thought about how they treated each other earlier and him whispering in her ear.

"Are you two... I mean..." I felt my face heat up at the thought. "Are you two... lovers... or something?" He seemed to pale at my words, if possible.

"P-Please don't make jokes in such terrible taste! I-I treated her as a daughter once! And I'd never take such a sharp-tongued contrary woman as... as...! B-Besides, she's long since wed! She has a child!" he reminded me.

"There's plenty of single mothers out in the world, you know?" I stated. "Besides, how would I know she has a husband?"

"But I have you!"

* * *

 **"I bought you to be my apprentice, as I said, but also to make you my bride."**

* * *

"So, you weren't kidding?" I asked him. "So... would you have a mistress, then?"

"Why must you twist the knife?!"

"Shut up! Both of you!" Angelica shouted at us, stepping out of the back of her shop.

* * *

"Take care of yourself," Angelica told me as we prepared to leave London with my new items in hand.

"I will," I said smiling at her as she and her daughter saw us off.

"Don't let him do anything funny."

"I'm not doing anything funny!" I laughed lightly before Elias and I left to go to the train station and go home.

* * *

"By the by..." Elias started as we walked along the path home. Since no one else was around the red cloth he used to hide his face was behind his head. "Are you so very fond of poppies, then?"

"Huh?" I asked confused.

"Those were beautifully made," He reminded me of the crystal poppies I'd made at Angelica's shop.

"Oh, those? I just remembered them from when my mom took me and my baby sister to see a field of them," I told him.

"Tell me of your parents," he requested, and I stopped walking and looked back at him, his head cocked to the side. "Are they dead? Or did they abandon you?"

* * *

 **"Daddy...?"**

* * *

 **"Mama!"**

* * *

"That was a blunt question," I stated.

"Whatever led you here, your past can't change the fact that you're with me now," he told me placing his hand on my cheek.

"True," I said placing my hand on his while thinking. His words were nothing but air to him, but they still feel warm and kind. "My dad took my baby brother and disappeared. I don't even know if they're alive. My mom killed herself when I was a kid in front of me and my sister. And my sister... She killed herself just a few weeks before the auction." I turned around and walked home. "But as you said, I'm here now. The past may define who I am, but I won't let it control me."

* * *

As we approached the house, a man stood up by the doorway and waved at us.

"Aha! Ainsworth!" he called out. "I wrote and told you when I'd be arriving! Why are you always out of the house when I come calling? What kind of hermit are you?"

"Even I have the occasional errand," Elias told him. "Besides, you're hardly ever eager to come to see me." I took a good look at the man and saw a cross hanging from his neck. Is he a priest?

"Well, your maid seems to hate me, so I wasn't even allowed to wait inside. I've been standing around out here," he said before noticing me. "Oh, hello. You must be his new apprentice, Reika. My name is Simon Cullum. I stopped by to ask you for help - both of you."

"Our help?"


	3. Nature's Course

Well, this wasn't how my day was supposed to go...

"This won't take long," the blond man riding the dragon told me. "Just be patient." Be patient? Where else was I supposed to go? His dragon was carrying me in his mouth away from Elias who was miles away by now.

* * *

"I waited outside for two whole hours, you know," Simon told us drinking his tea. "It may be nearly summer, but it's still nippy out." Elias had moved the red cloth back over his face to hide the skull.

"Why stay so long? You could have returned to your church and called again tomorrow," Elias told him.

"That would've been equally annoying in its own right," Simon told him.

"Reika, there's no need for you to be nervous," Elias told me. "Simon is the cowardly sort."

"Too true," Simon assured me. "I'm but a poor little lamb cowering before the great and mighty made here."

"Die."

"That was cruel."

"Back to the subject at hand. Reika, Simon is the pastor of the village church," Elias told me. A pastor and a mage getting along, who knew? "He serves as both Pastor and Priest, but he isn't terribly gifted on either front. He's quite indecisive, too."

"Hey! I'm well-rounded," Simon defended. Or they don't. Elias seems especially annoyed by the man. I grabbed the sandwich Silky placed in front of me as she placed her arms around my neck and pulled me away from him. She obviously didn't like him any more than Elias did. Was it a neighbor thing? "Reika..." I turned to the Pastor. "I think I can see what's happened." He placed his hand on my head and Silky pulled tried pulling me even further away. "You've been through some difficult times. You've done well, getting this far. If this hermit tires of you, you're always welcome at my church. You can lean on me."

"Die." The priest continued to ruffle my hair until I pushed his hand off my head.

"I thank you for the offer, but I won't need to accept it," I told him fixing my ruffled hair. Why have total strangers been so kind? They don't know me or what my life has been like.

"Tell us why you're here," Elias told him. "What's so serious that you stood in the cold for two hours rather than delay further?"

"There are three matters we can't handle, for various reasons, but I doubt they'll prove challenging for you."

"Three?" Elias asked him. "That's quite a few."

"Payback for the trouble you're causing me," Simon told him. "Setting aside the other alchemists for the moment, your recent behavior is not insignificant." Recent behavior? "You've been quiet for decades, and now you suddenly take an apprentice? The other incidents were small enough to gloss over, but I can't avoid reporting this to my superiors."

"I wasn't under the impression that I was accountable to your church," Elias said with, what sounded like sarcasm in his tone.

"I know, and this is as much a nuisance for me as for you," Simon insisted. "I'm sure you'd rather avoid fanning any flames, however negligible they'd be for you. And we, in turn, don't want to stir up trouble with a mage who's already lived longer than we know."

"How many centuries will it take for your superiors to become less hidebound?" Elias asked him. Centuries? How long had Elias been alive? "Isn't that covered by some commandment from your God or His son?"

"You ask too much of them," Simon told him.

"Is my being here causing you trouble?" I asked Elias causing both men to stare at me.

"None of this is your fault, I swear," Simon told me with a soft smile. "Buying you was hardly commendable of Ainsworth, but it was humane. It simply brought some difficulties too."

* * *

After telling us all about the issues the church was having right now he rose from his seat with a small groan.

"Well, I've said my piece. I'll be on my way. Might I have the usual before I go?" Simon asked him.

"Yes." Silky brought him a bag and he picked it up and looked at me.

"His medicine is the only thing that eases my cough," Simon explained. "In fact, all of the villagers come to Ainsworth for medicine."

"You let them see your face?" I asked.

"Of course not! I wear an illusion, as I did earlier," he explained. "Besides, our Silky does most of the face-to-face selling for me. Studying magic includes learning to make medicine. If you make it following the laws of the mystic, they become Panacea."

"A mage's medicines are effective and easy on the body," Simon told me. "Learn well, okay?" He ruffled my hair again before going to the door. He waved as he walked away from us at the doorway.

"I thought he wouldn't respect you because of the differences between his religion and what you do," I told Elias as he removed the red cloth from his face.

"The nature of this country is a factor," Elias explained. "Britain is a land of old magic. Mages have long been a respected part of life here. Now then, Reika. Since we have more errands, how about we add our honeymoon to the list."

"I don't even remember agreeing to be your wife!"

* * *

One of the issues Simon had given Elias and I was in Iceland.

"The dragons have grown more active lately," Elias explained again. "We've been asked to look in on them."

"Dragons? Really?" I asked him as I walked in front of him, my breath coming out in puffs of hot air.

"Indeed. They have an Aeire in Iceland. Given the country's remote location and sparse population, it's the perfect place. Both magic and alchemy have been used to hide it from normal humans' eyes. Dragons once thrived around the world, but now only a few isolated groups remain. Like the dinosaurs of old, they're slowly going extinct."

"I remember reading that dragons have hoards and can be scary and dangerous. Are those things true?" I asked him.

"Of individuals, perhaps," he told me. "Most like that were weeded out long ago. Surviving dragons are generally pleasant. The heroic tales of old are generally human accounts of events that those aggressive individuals..." I never got to hear the rest of what he'd said due to the dragon grabbing me in its mouth in front of Elias. "Reika!"

"Elias!" We reached for each other so he could pull me away from the dragon and its rider, but the dragon flew away before he could.

"Ha! Guess he's still a greenhorn," the rider said. "Especially if he can't keep hold of one apprentice! He may have more power than he knows what to do with, but he's still unguarded as a babe."

"Who are you?!" I shouted at him. "Why did you...?!"

"I'll tell all once we reach our land. There, see?" I looked in the direction we were flying. "It's not that far. Welcome to the last home of the dragons." In front of us, dozens of dragons were flying in the air and I marveled at the sight. Dragons, who I'd thought hadn't existed were flying in front of me. It wasn't long until we finally landed. Close by were two smaller dragons, at least I thought they were dragons. The dragon holding me raised its head up and I stared at the ground in fear. "Go on. Set her down." The dragon lowered me as though to place me gently on the ground before spitting me out into the water. I quickly held my breath before I felt the freezing water tear through me. I quickly swam away from where I'd been thrown in the water for as long as I could before I'd needed air again. I took a deep gasp of air as I swam towards shore. I pulled myself up by the rocks close to shore before noticing the large dragon laying on the shore.

"We have a visitor. How unusual. You smell like a mage." I said as I moved closer to him. "A tender you one. You must be but a hatchling. And I smell rocks and flowers in profusion- flowers that do not bloom here. It is an appealing scent." My scent? Could he be blind? He was covered in moss and lichen, like a rock, only bigger.

"His kind are Uir Arach- Earth Dragons." I turned to see the rider from my kidnapping standing behind me. "They are both father and mother to the deep forest. Fresh life springs from their decaying bodies." I hadn't noticed his blonde hair pooling on his shoulders before. His blue eyes held knowledge and kindness. "My apologies for the rough greeting. Welcome to the land of the dragon, Thorn's Child."

"How do you know who I am?" I asked him.

"The Ariels were all atwitter with the news that Thorn had finally taken an apprentice. Their gossip is quite literally as swift as the wind," he explained. The water around my legs churned with every small movement. "Ah! You were quicker this time How long will you hide in her shadow, Thorn? Or, no, pardon me... Ainsworth?" My shadow rose up and I felt the comfort of Elias' hand on my shoulder pressing me into his chest.

"I was politely waiting for you to finish your boring stories, old coot." Did Elias not like this man either?

"I see our penchant for toying with others hasn't changed in the last three centuries, Echos."

"Elias..." I sneezed into my open hands before I was suddenly lifted up into his arms causing me to squeak in surprise. "Gracious, you're drenched right through.

Nettle in the lock

False holly in a ring

I noticed an Ariel, or what looked like an Ariel on fire, fly around me before I was suddenly dry.

"Thank you," I mumbled as my face turned red.

"What are you smirking about?" Elias asked the man standing in front of us.

"What, me?" he asked with his smirk growing wider. "It's just adorable to see the little boy at being a father."

"Hmph! Reika, this is Lindel," Elias introduced. "He is caretaker of the Dragons' Aerie, and a mage, like me." I looked back at Lindel to see him petting one of the younger dragons on the head.

"Caretaker?" I asked. Did dragon's need a caretaker?

"Yes. He is charged with watching over this place and ensuring it stays hidden from human scrutiny," Elias explained. So Lindel protected the dragons from the humans. "Don't be fooled by his appearance or childish pranks. He's even older than I am."

"Really?" I asked in shock as Elias put me down.

"Hey!"

"Hey! Hey-!" I looked down to see two young dragons staring up at me. "Done talking yet? We wanna play!"

"Yeah! Play!"

"Let's play!"

Those are dragon chicks," Lindel explained. "The winged one is a Goath Arach, and that's a Beanna, at your feet - Wind and Hill dragons. The slower stockier one is another Uil. The alchemists love to five different species tongue-twisting "scientific" names, but if you're going to give a name, why not one that's easy to say?"

"Lindel, has there been trouble here of late?" Elias asked him. "Tell me what's been happening."

"Is that lot all worked up over nothing again?" Lindel sighed. "Prey's been scarce, so some dragons are hunting further afield. That's all. Reika, be a dear and play with them, would you?"

"Wait, what?" I asked as the two men walked away from me. "Okay then..." I turned to the dragons and knelt down. "What do you want to play?

"Oh! We can climb up there and jump!" The winged dragon said excitedly. "It's gliding practice! We'll see who make it to the lake! You can fly, right? I heard humans learned how!"

"Unfortunately I'm not one of them," I said with a sweatdrop and a smile. I hadn't noticed how close we were to the older dragon until I looked up at him. I felt like an ant next to him! I lightly touched his wings and ran my hand along the hard surface. They were old and frail he probably hadn't flown in decades, if not more.

"Have you never seen a dragon before?" He asked me and I jumped slightly. I thought he'd been sleeping. I moved away from him quickly removing my hand from his skin.

"I shouldn't have touched you without asking. I thought you were sleeping." I blushed as I realized what I'd said. "I'm sorry."

"Apologies, child. That was not my meaning. I am fated to return home soon. I thought you'd find more amusement with the chicks than with one like me."

"I thought this was your home?" I asked confused.

"Uncle Nevin's awake!"

"It'll happen soon, won't it, Uncle Nevin?"

"What's going to happen?" I asked, my confusion growing.

"Uncle Nevin's gonna turn into a **tree**!"

"Yeah! All uil turn into really strong trees or neat grasses one day!"

"We're all gonna turn into something awesome when we die! Like trees or rocks or moss!"

"Yeah!"

* * *

 **"They are both father and mother to the deep forest. Fresh life springs from their decaying bodies."**

* * *

"When you die...?" I felt my tongue turn to lead at the words.

"Unlike humans, we do not fear death," he told me. "We live our lives to the fullest, without regrets."

* * *

 **She smiled at me before letting go."**

* * *

"Is it going to hurt?" I asked him softly once again placing my hand on his frail, torn wing.

"You are a kind child. We dragons fear nothing. We understand that death comes to all living things in time, without exception. All things taste the joys and sorrows of life, and all will know the loneliness of death. I have a full life. And a long one, for a dragon. The new age belongs to the new generation. There is no need for you to grieve." Can I grieve? Do I even really know how? I'd lost so much and such a short amount of time that...

 **Why didn't I follow her?**

"The living should not envy the dead." My eyes snapped open at his words. "It's good that you chose not to "fly" after your sister that day without wings. Had he not met you, I would expect he would not have known for a long, long time who to take as his apprentice."

"Did you just... see my memories...?"

"Ah. We freely share thoughts and information of things such as danger or good hunting grounds. I see that it's inappropriate with humans. Your pardon," he said calmly.

"It's not your fault," I whispered.

"Perhaps," he started saying. "It would be wise for me to show you the true joy of flight, wingless one. I no longer have the strength to fly, but you can see the sky in my memories. Come. I will show you." I took a deep breath as bright lights covered my vision. I looked down and laughed in happiness at the ground far beneath my feet, our shadows flowing over the earth like waves on the water. In front of us was the most beautiful sunrise I'd ever seen. "My kind have abandoned the sky, but we remain fated to live beneath it. Your name contains the word "wolf". You too should live and run under this sky." We flew for a while longer before I finally opened my eyes and heard something creaking above me. I looked up to see a tree coming out of Nevin's body.

"A tree...!"

"Thank you. With you here, I was able to fly one last time."

"But I didn't do anything to help."

"You did," he insisted. "The magic you harbor made my last dream unusually vivid. Not long ago, Lindel planted a small seed on my body. Great trees don't grow easily in this land, but with my body for its seedbed, I'm sure this one will be tall and mighty. I'm told it will bear beautiful white blossoms in springtime. You'll be a mage one day, won't you?" I nodded unable to speak due to the sorrow filling my throat. "Then you will need a wand. Comeback someday... and take one of my branches... for it. Goodnight... little mage..." I didn't stop my tears as they made waterfalls down my cheeks.

"Welcome back, Reika." I turned to see Elias standing behind me. "Was Nevin's sky beautiful?"

"Yes," I answered. "The sun was coming up over the ocean."

"You saw a very rare thing today," he told me. "Not many witness a dragon's return to the earth." I looked back up at the tree growing so quickly. "This is a Linden  
Tree. It will have exquisite little white flowers."

"There's no cause for sorrow, Reika," Lindel told me. "Nature took its course. From the earliest of days, dragons have desired to pass on quietly and become home to new life."

"I see." Lindel put his hand gently on my head in comfort I'd imagine.

"When the time comes, Reika, let us do as Necin suggested and come take a branch for our wand," Elias told me.

"My wand?" I asked him.

"Indeed. But for today, our errand here is complete. It's time we went home."

"What, leaving already?" Lindel asked him as the baby dragons loved on my midsection.

"Yes. I've been made responsible for other errands as well," Elias informed him.

"So? Forget them and visit a while longer. Whoever expected you to be serious and responsible?"

"Oh, hush!" I looked back up at the tree. Death is just nature taking its course. Why am I so upset? I didn't know him? A flash red made me gasp and turn to see Elias with his red mask back on and covering his face once more.

"Reika, we are leaving," he told me and I nodded my head before moving to his side again.

"I'm ready to go." My head suddenly felt light and the world began to spin.

"Reika!" I felt arms wrap around my waist before my world went dark.


End file.
